100
questions
that promote
Mathematical
Discourse
Help students work together to make sense of mathematics
QUESTIONS THAT WILL:
Help students work together to make sense
1 What strategy did you use?
10 Can someone retell or restate
of mathematics
[student]’s explanation?
2
1 3
Do you agree?
2
Do you disagree?
Do you
11
4
Did you work together? In what way?
5
What
Would you12 Would
Could
youlike to add to what was said?
anyone
4 Would you ask theagree?
rest
of
the
class
strategy
ask the rest
share your
13 Have you discussed this with your group?
that
question?
method
did you
of the class
3
With others?
Do you
5 use?
that question? with the class?
Could you share your method with
the class?
6 6
disagree?
14
What part of what he said do you7
understand?
What part of
7
what
he said
Would
someone
like to share ___?
9 9
10 think about what
11
What do others
Did anyone get a different answer?
15 Where would you go for help?
Would someone
like to
share
______?
16 Did everybody get a fair chance to talk,
use the manipulatives, or be the recorder?
Can you convince the rest of us
do
you
8 Can
17 How could you help another student
youunderstand?
convince the rest of us that
that your answer
makes sense?
without telling them the answer?
your answer makes sense?
8
What
do said? Can someone
[student]
others think retell or restate
[student]’s
about what
explanation?
[student] said?
13 would you explain ___ to someone
How
who Have
missedyou
class today?
discussed this
with your group?
12 Would anyone
With others?
like to add to
what19
was Is
said?
this a reasonable answer?
Did you
18
work together?
In what way?
Help students rely
Does that 17
make sense?
14 more on themselves
16
Did anyone
Did everybodyWhy do you think that? Why is that true?
to get
determine
whether
a
get a fair chance
Can you draw
a picture or make a model
different something
18
is
answer?
to talk, use the to show that?How would
mathematically correct
you explain ___
How did you
reach that conclusion?
20
21
How could you
help someone
without telling them
the answer?
22
15
Where would
you go for help?
QUESTIONS THAT WILL:
manipulatives,23 or
to someone
missed
24 Does anyonewho
want
to revise his or her answer?
be the recorder?
class today?
25
How were you sure your answer was right?
Help students learn to
reason mathematically
26
How did you begin to think about
this problem?
27
What is another way you could
solve this problem?
28
How could you prove ______?
29
Can you explain how your answer
is different from or the same as
[student]’s answer?
30
Let’s break the problem
into parts. What would
the parts be?
31
Can you explain this
part more specifically?
32
Does that always work?
33
Can you think of a case
where that wouldn’t work?
34
How did you organize your
information? Your thinking?
Help students evaluate
their own processes
and engage in productive
peer interaction
35
What do you need to do next?
36
What have you accomplished?
37
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
38
Was your group participation appropriate and helpful?
Help students
with problem
comprehension
39
What is this problem about?
What can you tell me about it?
40
Do you need to define or set limits
for the problem?
41
How would you interpret that?
42
Could you reword that in simpler
terms?
43
Is there something that can be
eliminated or that is missing?
44
Could you explain what the
problem is asking?
45
What assumptions do you have
to make?
46
What do you know about this part?
47
Which words were most
important? Why?
100 Questions That Promote Mathematical Discourse
2
Help students learn to conjecture, invent, and solve problems
48
What would happen if ___?
49
Do you see a pattern?
50
What are some possibilities here?
51
Where could you find the information
you need?
52
How would you check your steps or
your answer?
53
What did not work?
54
How is your solution method the same
as or different from [student]’s method?
55
56
57
Other than retracing your steps, how
can you determine if your answers are
appropriate?
How did you organize the information?
Do you have a record?
How could you solve this using tables,
lists, pictures, diagrams, etc.?
58
What have you tried? What steps did
you take?
59
How would it look if you used this
model or these materials?
60
How would you draw a diagram or
make a sketch to solve the problem?
61
Is there another possible answer?
If so, explain.
62
Is there another way to solve the problem?
63
Is there another model you could use to
solve the problem?
64
Is there anything you’ve overlooked?
65
How did you think about the problem?
66
What was your estimate or prediction?
67
How confident are you in your answer?
68
What else would you like to know?
69
What do you think comes next?
70
Is the solution reasonable, considering
the context?
71
Did you have a system? Explain it.
72
Did you have a strategy? Explain it.
73
Did you have a design? Explain it.
100 Questions That Promote Mathematical Discourse
3
Help students learn to connect mathematics, its ideas,
and its application
74
What is the relationship between ___
and ___?
75
Have we ever solved a problem like this
before?
76
What uses of mathematics did you find
in the newspaper last night?
77
What is the same?
78
What is different?
79
Did you use skills or build on concepts that
were not necessarily mathematical?
80
Which skills or concepts did you use?
81
What ideas have we explored before
that were useful in solving this problem?
Help students
persevere
95
What was one thing you learned
(or two, or more)?
82
Is there a pattern?
83
Where else would this strategy be useful?
84
How does this relate to ___?
85
Is there a general rule?
86
Is there a real-life situation where this
could be used?
87
How would your method work with
other problems?
88
What other problem does this seem to
lead to?
89
Have you tried making a guess?
90
What else have you tried?
91
Would another method work as
well or better?
92
Is there another way to draw,
explain, or say that?
93
Give me another related problem.
Is there an easier problem?
94
How would you explain what you
know right now?
96
Did you notice any patterns?
If so, describe them.
97
What mathematics topics were used
in this investigation?
98
What were the mathematical ideas
in this problem?
99
What is mathematically different about these
two situations?
100
What are the variables in this problem?
What stays constant?
Help students
focus on the
mathematics
from activities
100 Questions That Promote Mathematical Discourse
4